Interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has clarified that the emerging opposition coalition under the party’s banner has not endorsed any presidential aspirant ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former Senate President made this known in a statement issued by his media team in Abuja on Tuesday, following widespread reports suggesting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi were among frontrunners for the ADC’s presidential ticket.
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Addressing the speculation, Mark stressed that the party had not anointed any candidate and is focused instead on building a robust, credible platform that appeals to the majority of Nigerians.
“The ADC has no preferred or favourite presidential aspirant but has set out to first put out a platform that would be attractive and acceptable to the majority of Nigerians,” he said.
His statement comes amid internal tensions triggered by claims from the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, who accused the interim leadership of bias in favour of Atiku Abubakar. Kachikwu and other party stakeholders have voiced concerns that the ambitions of top contenders could create deep divisions within the coalition.
Mark, however, dismissed the allegations and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to fairness and transparency.
“I don’t own this party more than any of our members, and I urge all members to prepare to show Nigerians that the ADC is a different party, a party that is ready to properly run democracy in our country,” he stated.
He called on Nigerians from all backgrounds to take ownership of the ADC, positioning it as a unifying force in the country’s political landscape.
“We are doing this because we do not want this great ship called Nigeria to sink. If we do not rise up, and now, they will sink all of us,” Mark warned.